


Restraint

by HarleyJQuin



Series: Sterek Bingo 2020 [5]
Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Canon-Typical Violence, Episode: s02e03 Ice Pick, Erica Reyes is a Little Shit, M/M, Sterek Bingo, Sterek Bingo 2020, Werewolf Stiles Stilinski, sbturning
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-11
Updated: 2020-05-11
Packaged: 2021-03-03 01:08:04
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 11,649
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24126367
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HarleyJQuin/pseuds/HarleyJQuin
Summary: Derek nearly loses his favorite squishy human when Erica is sent to delay him and she does so... violently.
Relationships: Derek Hale/Stiles Stilinski
Series: Sterek Bingo 2020 [5]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1727686
Comments: 43
Kudos: 567





	Restraint

**Author's Note:**

> Sterek Bingo 2020  
> Square: Turning

Scott followed Boyd across as he cleaned the ice with the Zamboni. He implored, “Boyd. I just wanna talk.”

Boyd knew exactly what he wanted to talk about and he just ignored Scott and he kept on driving.

“Hey,” Scott called out as he walked into Boyd's line of sight again. “Come on, Boyd, please. Did Derek tell you everything? And I don't mean going out of control on the full moons. I mean everything.”

Boyd stopped the Zamboni and he looked at Scott with an impassive expression as he said, “He told me about the hunters.”

Scott asked, “And that’s not enough for you to say no? Whatever you want there's other ways to get it.”

Boyd shook his head, he replied, “I just wanna not eat lunch alone every day.”

Scott snarked, “If you're looking for friends, you can do a lot better than Derek.”

Derek spoke up from behind Scott, where he was flanked by Isaac and Erica, “That really hurts, Scott. I mean, if you're going to review me, at least take a consensus.” He looked around realizing someone was missing, “Speaking of friends though. Where is Stiles?”

Scott looked down at his phone in his hand and he commented with a frown, “He should’ve been here by now. He was just going to check Boyd’s place before meeting me here.”

Derek turned to look at Erica when he noticed the scent of guilt wafting off her in waves. He demanded, “What did you do?”

Erica inspected her claws with an air of indifference and she said, “You said to get him out of the way.”

Derek’s eyes widened in horror and Isaac took a few steps away from her. He yelled, “I said to distract him. What the hell did you do.”

Erica started to take a step back from the enraged alpha, Scott interrupted, “Um, Derek, he's not answering his phone. The only time that happens is when he literally can’t.”

Derek grabbed Erica by the throat embedding his claws in on either side and he shook her while asking, “What. Did. You. Do?”

She tried to claw his hand away as she answered, “I just knocked him out a bit.”

Derek roared in her face, “He’s HUMAN!”

Scott held his phone in front of Derek as an attempt to distract him, he said hurriedly, “I have his location.”

Derek looked at Isaac, and at Boyd who had moved to stand beside him. “You two watch her, right now she doesn’t even get to sneeze without permission. Take her back to the depot and make sure she doesn’t leave. We will talk about it when we see what condition Stiles is in.”

He stalked out to the Camaro where Scott was waiting. He demanded, “Where are we going?”

Scott studied the map and he said hesitantly with a frown, “It looks like he’s in the alley behind Jungle, but that’s a few blocks away from Boyd’s place.”

Derek raced across town managing to avoid being pulled over and he parked outside Jungle. Scott pulled out his phone and he said, “He hasn’t moved.”

They moved behind Jungle to the entry to the alley, Derek scented the alley, “He’s not here,” He commented bluntly, “Call his phone.”

Scott demanded, “How do you know he's not here?”

Derek rolled his eyes and he answered, “Use your senses, I can’t smell him here, at least not recently and I can’t hear his heartbeat.”

Scott asked, “You know his heartbeat?”

Derek nodded, “To a wolf, a heartbeat is like a fingerprint,” he explained, “Everyones is different, unique, Stiles’ heartbeat especially, as his Adderall makes it beat faster than most. Now make the damn call.”

Scott nodded and he called Stiles’ phone. They could hear the ringing from behind the dumpster in the alley. Scott moved to find it but Derek held him back. “Let me,” He saw Scott’s look of determination so he explained, “The fewer scents I have to parse out the easier it will be to track her scent to where she last saw Stiles.”

Scott nodded reluctantly, Derek went down the alley and he picked up the phone, he saw it looked scuffed and the screen was shattered but still working, mostly. He could smell Erica all over it and he was able to follow the scent trail like following a string line. He called out, “I have it, follow me and stay quiet, I need to concentrate.”

He led Scott out of the alley and they walked past Boyd’s house where Stiles scent was quite strong and it led to an alleyway behind the bookshop.

Derek exclaimed, “Shit!” As he ran to the dumpster, he and Scott worked together with Scott jumping in to lift Stiles out and he carefully placed him in Derek’s arms. He looked around when he could still smell Stiles’ blood in the dumpster over the smell of rotting food from the pizza restaurant down the alley. He moved a few boxes around and he found a part he recognized as belonging to Roscoe coated in Stiles’ blood. He grabbed hold of it and he jumped out of the dumpster.

Derek carefully laid Stiles down on the ground and he carefully felt around his head and his heart sunk when he felt the injury in the back of his head. He could hear that Stiles' heartbeat was already faltering.

Scott stood beside him and he showed him the car part from Roscoe covered in Stiles’ blood. He said, “She had to know…”

Derek shook his head, he commented, “I should have sent Isaac, he might be a raging douche but he doesn’t hold a grudge .”

Scott asked, “Can you fix him? Will the bite fix him?”

Derek nodded absently, he said, “I want to talk to his Dad first. I know you two are like brothers but I would prefer that the Sheriff weigh in on this.”

Scott gulped, “You realize Stiles will kill us if he survives this?”

Derek nodded, “Call the Sheriff anyway. Look, he's underage, I would really rather not add non-consensual bite to the list of shit I have done wrong.”

Scott huffs, “Ugh, why couldn’t this shit have waited a month then he would have been 18.” He pulled out his phone and he made the call. 

Derek asked, “Aren’t you all Juniors though?”

Scott nodded while he waited for the Sheriff to answer, “Stiles was held back a year when he was diagnosed with ADHD. He could skip back ahead but he never did.” Stiles held his hand up, “Sheriff, it’s Scott. I am with Stiles and he's been injured. I need you to come to the alley behind the bookshop. Yes, it’s urgent. Yes, I am calling in Mom too. Yep, see you in a few.”

He sent a quick text to Melissa McCall asking her to get to the alley asap.

Scott asked, “Is it just the head injury?”

Derek nodded, he confirmed, “I did a quick check and yeah it's just the head injury, the thing is its broken his skull and he definitely has a traumatic injury of some sort to the brain.” He opened Stiles' eyelids and showed Scott that one of his pupils was blown. He commented, “Without a scan, it would be hard to diagnose just from looking at him. What worries me is he’s not responding at all, not to being moved, our voices, or even pain when I felt gently around the wound.”

They heard footsteps as Noah and Melissa both entered the alleyway. “They both yelled “Stiles!” As they skidded down beside him.

Derek looked at Melissa and he reported, “He's taken a blunt force impact to the back of his head before he was dumped.”

Scott held out the offending car part for Noah and Melissa to see. 

Melissa demanded, “Why haven’t you called an ambulance?”

Derek looked at Scott as if asking for permission when Scott nodded he lifted his head with his red eyes blazing. When he saw the shocked looks on the adult's faces he explained, “I was a paramedic for four years in New York before I came back to look for Laura. I have seen many cases like this where they don't make it to the hospital. His GCS is 3 Mrs. McCall. You know what that means.”

Melissa scrubbed her face with her hand, “So… what? Lay it out boys, what are the options here.”

Derek swallowed audibly, he could see Noah looking stressed and about to lose his shit, “I’m a werewolf, an alpha. There is a chance that my bite can turn him into a werewolf which would fix the head injury. But we need to do that before any hospital visit. If he is scanned and it shows a fatal injury and he survives it will bring to much attention to us.”

Noah looked to Scott and he asked, “What do you think Scott? You called me down here.”

Scott let his eyes glow gold, “Derek didn’t bite me but the bite I got from…” He glanced at Derek before he continued, “A feral alpha fixed my asthma. I want Derek to do it, but he wanted to ask you first as Stiles is underage and unable to give his own consent.”

Noah looked to Derek and he asked, “What are the downsides? There are always downsides.”

Derek looked down at his hands, he noticed absently that his claws were out, he took a deep breath and drew them back in as he brushed Stiles hair out of his face he answered, “There is a small chance that his body will reject the bite. It doesn’t happen often but when it does the person usually dies within 12 hours. There are werewolf hunters in town currently looking for a reason to put me and my pack down, oh, and the giant lizard currently causing havoc and we are not entirely sure what it is or how to stop it.”

Scott interrupted, “That’s what killed Mr. Lahey in the graveyard.”

Noah looked to Melissa for her opinion, she had been checking Stiles over and she had come to the same conclusion as Derek. She nodded, with tears in her eyes, she knew the kid she had helped raise would not survive this. Noah nodded and Derek leaned down and pulled up Stiles' shirt and with full beta shift he bit down on Stiles' side just above his hip.

Noah looked to Derek when he stood and he asked, “Can you stay with him so you can explain what happened if he wakes up?”

Derek nodded, “I can but I need to make a quick trip to talk to my betas. One of them did this, a bit of a case of not realizing wolves are a lot stronger than humans. However, I will leave her punishment up to Stiles. If he doesn’t survive this… well…”

Noah demanded, “I want to go with you.”

Derek nodded, he threw his keys to Scott, “Get him home, I will go with the Sheriff in his cruiser and we will meet you there.” 

Scott looked apprehensive. He asked, “Are you sure?”

Derek nodded, he squeezed his shoulder and he reassured him, “We won’t be too long.” 

He watched Scott run to the Camaro before he looked at Melissa and he asked, “Can you go with him, keep an eye on Stiles and maybe clean the wound out before it heals. The turn should push out any foreign objects but if the wound is clean his body won’t have to work so hard.”

Scott returned with the Camaro parked at the entry to the alley. He gently picked up Stiles who was still not responding, Melissa supported his head as Scott carried him and helped Scott get him strapped into the car. They reclined the front seat and padded his head with a few shirts Derek pulled out of the trunk. Scott and Melissa drove in convoy to the sheriff’s house.

As they drove to the train depot Derek commented, “You know Sheriff, you took that better than I expected.”

Noah snorted, “Son, first, call me Noah. Second, if you had grown up with Stiles you would understand the curve balls that kid can throw at you. There was a reason he was nicknamed Mischief as a child. Now, why are we going to the old train depot?”

Derek blushed, “It’s where I have been staying since the hunters kept attacking me at my old place. It's one of the few properties I can remember my mother saying we owned. I would move as I know we have other properties in town but still can’t get a straight answer out of the law firm my family used.”

Noah nodded, he asked, “Ok, so werewolves, you need to stay restrained for the full moon?”

Derek shook his head, as they pulled up to the depot he explained, “Only for the first few while they learn control. I have restraints at the depot.”

Noah followed Derek into the warehouse. The betas all stood when they walked in, Derek stormed up to Erica and picked her up by her throat. He roared, “You nearly killed him. He might still die.” He threw her across the warehouse. 

Noah barked, “Gather your things, Derek can you grab the restraints. You are all coming with me so we are all together while we keep an eye on Stiles.”

Erica asked quietly, “Even me.” She was worried that the Sheriff would arrest her.

Noah smirked at her, “Oh, I’m not arresting you. You may wish I did but no. Your punishment is being left up to Stiles. I am sure he will think of something… appropriate.”

Derek smiled, as he carried a bag full of chains and restraints. He snarked, “He does seem to be a creative little shit.”

They all walked out to the cruiser with the betas all cramming into the back seat. Derek turned in his seat to address Boyd, “Are you still ok to hang out with us for the night? I want to keep an eye on you to make sure the bite takes. It will be easier if you and Stiles are in the same place.”

Derek felt a flare of unmitigated panic down the pack bond. “Shit!” He exclaimed, he turned to Noah and said, “You need to hurry, it feels like he’s awake and in a full-on panic.”

Noah flicked on the siren and sped home. They walked in to find Stiles yelling at Scott and Melissa to get out of his house while he had himself barricaded into the corner of the lounge.

Derek looked at Noah and he asked, “Can I send these guys to the basement?”

Noah nodded absently he slowly approached Stiles and he asked, “Kiddo?”

Stiles frowned, “Dad?” He looked around, confused, he asked, “What’s going on?”

Derek moved to stand just behind Noah and he whispered, “Head injury, he should come right as the turn takes but it will take time to heal all the damage.”

Noah moved and he sat close to Stiles but out of reaching range, he explained, “You were in an accident Stiles and got a knock to the head.”

Stiles felt the back of his head where he could feel a healing wound. He asked, “So who are they?”

Noah pointed at each of them and he introduced them, “The puppy over there is Scott, he's been your best friend since you defended him in the great sandpit war of first grade. Beside him is his mom Melissa and Mr. Tall Dark and Broody behind me is Derek Hale. Scott and Derek found you and helped us get you back here.”

Noah looked at Derek and he asked, “You are sure he will get his memory back?”

Derek shrugged, “Not 100% but he is healing already. It almost seems like his change is happening faster and easier than Boyds, to be honest.” He called out, “Stiles? Why don't you try to take a nap? We will keep you safe.”

Stiles nodded and he climbed back up onto the sofa and he closed his eyes.

Derek motioned for the other three to follow him into the kitchen, he saw Scott about to bombard him with questions and he put his finger to his lips, he motioned to Noah for pen and paper which Noah handed over. 

He wrote, ‘He’s not sleeping and likely won’t sleep while he's feeling hyper-aware. Did you see his eyes flash?’ When they all nodded in agreement he wrote, ‘That means he has the enhanced hearing so be very careful what you say.’ Out loud he said, “He will need something high protein and with his increased metabolism he will need a lot of it.” He handed over a credit card, “Scott, can you organize something, you know what he likes to eat. Make sure you get some curly fries. Maybe stock up for a few days. Mrs. McCall, maybe you could help him? We can keep an eye on Stiles while you are gone.”

They nodded and left, Melissa warned, “I need to go in later for a night shift, I can drop off Erica and Scott on my way to work. I will be back here in the morning to give him a check-up.”

He asked Noah, “Are you ok with us taking over your basement for a few days?”

Noah nodded, “Its usually just occupied by Stiles and Scott when they are gaming and I am trying to watch a ball game.” He paused and he really looked at Derek and noticed that the young man looked like he had the weight of the world on his shoulder so he asked, “What’s the name of your lawyer? I will see if I can put a burr up their butt. I can see if we can get you that list of properties and access to your family bank accounts.”

Derek pulled a business card out of his wallet and he handed it over to Noah. Noah took one look at it and he rolled his eyes. He pulled out his phone and he said, “Let me make a call.”

“David?” Noah asked as the call was answered, “Yeah, it’s Noah, hey look I need a favor. I have Derek Hale here and he is having trouble with Hank dicking him around. He's been trying to get access to his family's estate since Laura was declared dead. Can you look into it? See if there has been anything dodgy going on since Laura and Derek left town? Yeah, he’s staying with me so just give me a call. Thanks, cya.”

-x-

Derek woke early the next morning and he sniffed out the bacon that Scott had hidden in the back of the fridge behind the vegetables. He chuckled as he made up a large batch of pancake batter and started the bacon cooking in the oven. He preferred his bacon baked rather than fried. He could hear that everyone else in the house was still fast asleep but he was sure that the smell of cooking bacon would bring them to the table.”

Noah walked in dressed for work. He said, “I have a shift today but I will call the school to sign out Stiles with a concussion for a few days.”

Derek shook his head, he explained, “Let’s see how he's doing first.” He turned the burners off and put the waiting pancakes in the oven to keep warm. “Look, the hunters I mentioned, one of them is Gerard Argent, the new school principal. The Argents are already aware Scott is a wolf and they have forced Allison and Scott to stay apart. We suspect Gerard is at the school trying to ferret out who the other wolves are so he can kill them for the crime of being wolves. He’s a zealot and I am pretty sure that the orders to Kate to burn our house down came from him.”

Noah sat down and he contemplated his options, “So we need to keep him under the radar which will mean a fast lesson in control right? What if we go day by day with a cold, something that can't be proven but maybe Melissa can sort us a medical certificate for the school.”

Derek nodded, “Sounds good. I think part of the issue is he doesn’t know? I know some of Scott’s issues with control were around the fact he never asked for it or wanted it. Even now with all the advantages he has gained from being a werewolf he still sees it as a bad thing. He still fights his wolf.”

Noah rolled his eyes, but before he could explain his view of Scott Stiles walked in and he said, “Scott’s issue with his wolf is that it stops him from being with Allison bloody Argent. I think if Mama McCall explained the fact that the cost of his asthma medication was why she did so much overtime he would get over it fast.”

Stiles looked at Derek and he said accusingly, “You fucking bit me!”

Derek nodded and he agreed, “I did.”

Stiles looked at his dad with a narrowed look before he accused Derek, “And you told my Dad about wolves.”

Derek nodded and he said, “Yep, Mrs. McCall too.”

Stiles frowned and he asked, “Why?”

Noah was about to answer but Derek held his hand up to stop him. He explained, “You were dying due to the actions of a member of my pack. You had a severe head injury from being hit with a part from your jeep.”

Stiles frowned as he thought about what he could remember, “I… I remember going to Boyd’s house. Scott wanted to make sure he knew all the dangers of the bite.”

Derek said, “You may not get the rest of the memories back, by the time we found you in the dumpster you were completely unresponsive. You didn't even react to the pain of the bite.”

Stiles rubbed the back of his neck as he nervously asked, “Erica right? Isaac might have gone full scarf douche since getting the bite but he's not one to resort to violence. Erica though has been pissed at me since she got bitten.”

Scott walked into the kitchen with his mother close behind and he said, “Her gaydar is broken. Like the rest of the school, she believes your crush on Lydia is real and she is pissed that you would waste your time on someone that vapid rather than someone who would actually like you.”

Stiles screwed his face up, “Ewww. I like Lydia’s brain, I just wish she would use it more. So Erica beat on me and almost killed me because I didn’t return her crush?”

Scott shrugged and he agreed, “That about covers it from what I have seen.” When everyone int he room gave him a disbelieving look, he corrected his statement, “Ok ok, that about covers it based on comments Danny made last week. Derek asked her to distract you, she took it a bit to far.”

Derek put a plate of pancakes and bacon down in front of Stiles, he demanded, “Eat, then we need to test your control. We don't want Gerard getting the idea that you were turned.” He turned towards the basement and he said, “Isaac, Boyd, get up here, breakfast is ready. Boyd after breakfast we will test your control. You shouldn’t have any issues.”

The betas ran into the kitchen and sat at the table as Derek handed out plates of pancakes and bacon before he sat himself to eat. Stiles reached out to snag half the bacon off his dad's plate but Noah moved it out of reach. “Stiles,” he scolded, “I have had a hellish 12 hours, I have to go to work and pretend everything is normal, you are not taking away my bacon. I have earned this bacon damn it.”

Stiles huffed and finished his plate. He said, “I am going up for a quick shower then I will come down to test my control. I can still feel the blood in my hair.”

“Scott, will you consider joining my pack?” Derek asked, “You need an alpha, it will help with your control and you will benefit from the pack bonds.”

Scot asked, “Like when you could feel Stiles panic last night?”

Derek nodded, “Look, I know you hated the bite and you fight your wolf, but you have to look at the benefits. From what Stiles and others have said, your asthma was on the extreme end.”

Melissa nodded and she interrupted, “Scott I spent most of my time worrying that the next asthma attack would be the one that took you away from us. Now that I know you don’t need them anymore I can drop all the overtime shifts.”

Scott frowned and he asked, “I don't understand.”

Melissa pulled Scott into a hug before she explained, “Scott, your asthma medication was expensive and only partially covered by our insurance. Most of my overtime was so I had enough money to cover new inhalers, the steroids you needed, and all the hospital bills.” 

Derek smiled, “Just think, now you will heal from most things within a few hours, even badly broken bones.”

Melissa’s jaw dropped, she asked, “Seriously? What else have they gained?”

Derek listed out the advantages, “Faster, stronger, faster reflexes, better eyesight, night vision, better hearing, and smell,” 

Isaac laughed, “Yeah, the locker room is...,” He shuddered and Scott laughed, he agreed, “Yeah, its rank as.”

Derek smirked and he continued, “We also heal from most injuries unless wolfsbane or mistletoe is involved. A clean break will take about 30 minutes to be fully healed.”

Melissa smacked Scott in the chest, “Stop fighting your wolf kiddo.”

Scott sighed, “Alpha Hale, I would like to petition to join the Hale pack now that you have all pulled my head out of my ass.”

Derek smiled and beckoned him over, “Lift your shirt, I need to bite you to accept you into the pack.”

Stiles walked in and he hugged Scott after Derek was done. Melissa held his shirt up and she was watching the bite heal before her eyes.

He commented, “Showers free, I left some clothes out that should fit you guys.”

He looked at Derek, he said, “So the eye flash shouldn’t be too major as my normal eye color is not far from my beta eyes. If it happens we can shrug it off as a trick of the light. I practiced while I was in the shower and I seem to have control of my claws and my face shift. I know through training Scott I just need to keep my heart rate level and I should be fine. The only thing I am not sure about is my Adderall? Will I need it.”

Derek shook his head, “I don’t think so,” He asked, “Your ADHD is caused by an imbalance right?”

Melissa nodded, “That's the popular theory. Hold off on the meds and you will need to self-monitor to see if your ADHD goes away or gets better. I am sure others will comment either way.”

Derek glanced at Noah before he said, “Right, let's test your pain response. If you can hold in the shift with sudden unexpected pain then you can go to school.”

Stiles laughed, he snarked, “If I am expecting it how is it unexpected.”

Scott swung his fist and smacked Stiles across the jaw. Stiles leaned forward and he grabbed his jaw but he didn’t shift. 

Stiles commented at the surprised look on Derek’s face, “Sourwolf, you forget, I taught Scotty control, do you think I don’t remember what we went through to get him to stop trying to kill me.”

Noah scrubbed his face with his hands as he muttered, “No self-preservation.” Louder he said, “Right, I am going to work, Derek the spare keys are on the hook by the front door, feel free to use the spare room, we will stick the kids in the basement until we get your lawyer sorted. Son, I have informed Erica that her punishment for nearly killing you is in your hands. Feel free to discuss it with Derek as the Alpha but I don't want to know. Plausible deniability and all that.” He grabbed his keys and his belt from the safe in his office before he left for work.

While Derek was testing Boyd’s control Stiles asked, “Where is Roscoe?”

Scott shrugged, “I think outside Boyd’s house unless Erica moved it.”

Derek tapped his arm and he said, “Give me the keys, I will find it and organize a tow to the garage. We can go to the garage after school to organize the repairs it needs.”

Stiles asked, “Are you sure? You don’t mind?”

Derek shrugged, “It’s fine, a pack member damaged it, so the pack will pay to fix it. I will drop you all off at school.

Melissa had a silent conversation with Scott with eyebrows and facial expressions before she asked, “Isaac, we have a spare room and you are welcome to use it. We can pick up your stuff from your Dad’s place now that you are no longer a fugitive.”

Isaac frowned, “The Sheriff can do that?”

Melissa smiled, “He took a statement from Derek last night confirming your alibi. They were able to explain it while leaving out the supernatural aspect.”

Isaac smiled, “So back to school then. Ugh, I have chemistry first thing.” He snapped his head to Stiles, “Ha, Harris will be a true test of your control.”

Melissa clapped her hands, “Right you lot, Derek you take Stiles and Boyd, I will take Scott and Isaac. We can pick up their bags on the way.”

School was a true test of Stiles control, gym class was hell, using restraint to hide his new strength and abilities during a game of dodgeball. Harris left him alone for the most part. Boyd found it a lot easier but he was known for being quiet and people generally left him alone.

Derek was waiting in the school car park when Stiles walked out. As the betas were walking over he said quietly, “No, you need to act normal, Boyd you have work so go to work, Erica go home and do your homework, I know you have been slacking off. Scott, Isaac can you go with Melissa to pick up Isaacs things and take them to the McCalls and get him settled in. I will text you when we are done at the mechanics.”

When they arrived Stiles saw his Jeep was up on the hoist and the mechanic was looking at the undercarriage. He asked, “Hey! Wh… what do you think you’re doing? All I needed was a starter. I know the tow truck driver passed on the message.”

The mechanic strolled out with a clipboard and he looked Stiles up and down and replied, “Yeah, but it looks like your whole exhaust system has got to be replaced here.”

Stiles snarked, “Why do I get the feeling you’re slightly overestimating the damage?”

Derek was listening in and he had heard enough, he knew the guy was trying to rip Stiles off. He started to creep inside.

The mechanic smirked and he snarked, “It’s probably going to run you around like twelve hundred in parts and labor.”

Stiles now raging said, “Are you kidding? This thing doesn't have a catalytic converter. And yes, I know what a catalytic converter is.”

The mechanic asked, “Do you know what a limited-slip differential is?”

Derek came around the corner and he put his arm around Stiles' shoulder lending him support, he said, “I do.” He gave the mechanic a hard look, “Cornish, we both know that the only thing you will be doing to this jeep is the starter as requested.”

Cornish swallowed nervously. He remembered the Hales and their infamous tempers, he went to school with both Laura and Peter and was on the wrong side of both of them at one point or another. He nodded and said hurriedly, “Give me half an hour and it will be done.”

Stiles led them out to the waiting room, he held his hand up when he felt a sticky substance on the door handle, he yelled back, “Oh. Nice. It's real sanitary. Quality establishment you're running here.”

Derek asked, “Stiles?”

Stiles held up his hands but he noticed they were going numb and he started to shake. “Derek, somethings wrong, there is something on the door handle.”

Derek turned and looked back into the workshop just as a clawed hand showed over the edge of the Jeep.

Stiles looked just as he saw the giant lizard climb over the edge of the door. He was slowly losing the feeling in his limbs and he warned, “It must be a paralytic toxin, you need to be careful. Go around and come in through the back. At least get Cornish out of there.”

Derek laid Stiles on the ground behind the counter and out of sight of the main entry door before he called Noah as he ran around the back of the workshop, he let know Noah that the lizard was at the mechanics and that it used what looked like a paralytic toxin. He said Stiles was in the waiting room behind the counter but paralyzed and he warned Noah to wear gloves as the lizard had coated the door handles in the toxin.

Derek raced in through the backdoor just as the hoist was dropping on Cornish. He reached in and yanked him out by his foot just before the hoist reached ground level and he ran out the back door with Cornish in a fireman’s carry. He dumped Cornish around the side of the building where Noah would see him when he arrived before he ran back in. He saw the lizard about to enter the waiting room where Stiles was hidden. With the hoist on the ground he jumped in the jeep and he let the emergency brake off. 

He started throwing various tools at the lizard to lure it to follow him around the Jeep, when he had the lizard at the rear of the jeep he sprinted to the front and he pushed with everything he had and he rammed the lizard into the concrete wall and steel pillar that were behind the jeep with a silent apology to Stiles for any damage to his precious Roscoe.

Derek was careful to avoid the tail as he checked out the lizard which was slowly reverting to human form.

He saw the familiar features as the scales faded, he said incredulously, “Jackson? Oh, gods, you’re a bloody kanima.”

Stiles called out, “Can you stop him?”

Derek nodded, “Yeah, kinda. I have to kill him but it won’t stick… At least that’s what the Hale bestiary said.”

Stiles squawked, “What?”

Derek rolled his eyes, “It kills the kanima but not the wolf, although I am not sure if that’s the right wording, some people when they finish the turn to wolf from kanima still have access to some of the kanima abilities if they train it. When a shifter turns to a kanima it means their wolf is suppressed by the kanima and the kanima’s need for a master.” He closed his eyes trying to remember what he had read when he practically lived in the Hale Library. “The person behind the kanima is suppressed like the wolf when in kanima form. They have no idea what’s going on, just flashes and a sense of lost time mostly.”

Stiles asked, “So why didn’t he turn into a wolf like… the others?”

Derek sighed and he said, “From what I remember it was something about the person bitten having emotional baggage that held back the wolf. They aren't secure enough in their sense of self enough to give control to their wolf.”

Stiles snorted from the waiting room, he snarked, “That’s Jackson all over. He hasn’t been the same since he found out he was adopted. Is he dead yet?”

Derek looked and he saw awareness coming to Jackson. He said, “Jackson? Are you awake?”

Jackson nodded slowly so he asked, “Did you hear what I explained to Stiles?”

Jackson nodded again and he whispered as he closed his eyes, “Do it.”

Derek froze when he heard the gun cock behind him.

He heard a voice yell, “Don’t you dare. He’s mine. Mine to control. My pet and my weapon to use.”

Derek raised an eyebrow at Jackson, he muttered, “Seriously, this ego is your master?”

Jackson rolled his eyes, and he muttered back, “As you said, it’s not like I knew.”

Derek relaxed as he heard Noah approaching with a deputy. He could hear them discussing approaching carefully as they were not sure what they would find. He decided to distract the kid behind him to give Noah time to enter. He asked, “So, what was your problem with Cornish? Why kill him?”

“He killed me first, he and his swim team friends had a party at Coach Lahey’s house when I was 8. When I went downstairs for a drink of water while I was visiting Isaac they threw me in the pool. I couldn’t swim so I drowned while they all stood around and laughed. Coach Lahey rescued me and then he screamed at me for being weak before he kicked me out of the house. They need to pay for what they did. Watching my pet rip Coach Lahey apart was… satisfying.”

Derek saw Jackson go green in response to the thought he had torn someone to pieces. He shook his head and he muttered, “So creepy.” Jackson nodded slightly in agreement.

When he heard the guy move to check under the hoist to see the damage done to the mechanic, he made his move and pounced. As he moved he realized it was one of the teenagers he had seen at the high school when dropping Stiles off and he made an effort to not do too much harm to him as he took him down. He threw the gun just out of reach and he yelled to Noah asking for handcuffs as he held the kid down.

Noah came in and he ordered the new deputy, Jordan Parrish to check on Stiles in the waiting room so he didn’t see Jackson at the front of the Jeep. Noah moved forward to cuff the kid. He sighed when he recognized the kid who was known in the station for his stalker tendencies. “Matt Dahler. Just so you are aware I heard your entire confession. Murder and attempted murder to start with.”

Matt screamed, “No, he’s there he’s under the hoist.”

Derek chuckled, “No kid, I rescued him, he’s out in the car park under the effects of your paralytic toxin same as Stiles and Jackson. I am sure tests will show what’s in their systems will match what you put all over the door handles.”

Noah nodded, he looked at Jackson and he asked quietly, “He ok?”

Derek nodded and he confirmed, “He will be It’s a long story that we will explain later back at the house. Get that psycho to the station, I will hang tight until the paramedics get here.”

Noah nodded, “Thanks, Derek.” He glanced toward the waiting room and he asked, “Keep him safe, ok?”

Once the cruiser left Derek explained, “I am going to do it now, I am also going to coat your hand in the toxin to match our cover story, from what I read it should wear off after a few hours. If they ask, you were here to book a service for your Porsche.”

Jackson nodded tiredly. “Fine, get on with it. Please.”

Derek flicked out the claws on his right hand and he rammed them up through Jackson's ribcage making sure he pierced the heart. Jackson barely even made a sound.

Once he was done he moved the jeep back in place on the hoist and he lifted Jackson and carried him to the waiting room, on the way he made sure to wipe Jackson’s hand across the door coating it in the remainder of the paralytic substance.

He sat him down beside Stiles who was quietly watching Jackson looking for signs of life. He murmured, “I will be right back, I need to go deal with Cornish.”

Stiles frowned and he asked, “Deal how?”

Derek shrugged and he explained, “Alpha wolves are able to take away memories, it's often done for pack protection. Jackson is pack so this will protect him.”

Stiles nodded he snarked, “I will keep an eye on Jackson, maybe bring Cornish in here when you are done so the paramedics have a place to work?”

Derek nodded and he headed out.

Stiles watched Jackson and his eyes widened when he saw Jackson pop his claws. He started chanting quietly, “Come on Jacks, open your eyes, we need you awake before the paramedics get here. Come on.”

Jackson took a deep shuddering breath and he opened his eyes the wolf eyes blazing a bright electric blue. Stiles smiled in relief, he flashed his gold eyes in return and he said, “Thank fuck. Are you good to come over after they discharge us from the hospital? We can explain whats going on.” 

Jackson just nodded tiredly. He asked, “Can you ask your dad to get my dad there, but not mom. I think he needs to know what's going on.”

Stiles agreed, “Sure.” He looked down at Jackson’s hands and he saw the claws were still out, he asked, “Can you pull your claws in?”

Jackson shook his head so Stiles spent a few minutes talking Jackson through bringing his heart rate down so he could control his shift.

Derek came back in carrying Cornish who was looking around confused. Derek gave Stiles a knowing look before he said, “I found him passed out down the side of the building, Matt must have done something before coming inside. He’s just as paralyzed as you two.” 

He looked at Jackson, “I talked to Noah and he is going to request an emergency meeting with the DA tonight. They will meet us all at the Stilinski’s house after you are all discharged.”

Derek walked out to meet the paramedics who had just arrived. When he walked back in he was giving a report on each of them to the two teams of paramedics. He explained that Jackson and Stiles were just affected by the paralytic toxin on the door handle between the workshop and the waiting room. 

Once Stiles and Jackson were being loaded onto gurneys he took the other team over to Cornish and he reported that he wasn’t sure how the toxin was given to Cornish but he explained that he had been dragged out from under the damaged hoist so may have scrapes on his back and that Cornish also had some level of amnesia and may have a head injury.

Cornish was kept overnight due to the amnesia but Stiles and Jackson were discharged once the paralytic had worn off. 

-x-

That night at the Stilinski house David Whittemore was brought into the secret, or so they thought, until Noah asked, “David, you are taking this better than I expected.”

He smirked, “Noah, I was good friends with Talia. Do you honestly think I didn’t already know.” He looked at Jackson and he pulled him into a hug, he murmured “Kiddo, I am sorry you had to go through that alone.”

Jackson pulled back but not totally out of reach and he asked, “Do… Does mom know?”

David shook his head, “No, she would not take it well. Look, we both know she married me for the Whittemore name and money, not for love. She has very definite ideas on what constitutes a family. Very exacting standards.”

Jackson snorted and he stated with glowing blue eyes, “I hope you aren’t keeping her around on my account. Whenever you aren't around I get reminders on how a real son would act within a family. Instructions on how to act, who I am allowed to be friends with, and punishments when I didn’t obey.” 

Derek spoke up when he could see David was about to fall apart, “Family is what you make of it, and to a wolf, pack is family. A dysfunctional hodgepodge family, but a family nonetheless.”

David nodded, he looked at Derek and he said, “I spoke to Hank, I have threatened to report him to the bar association as it looks like he is trying to pull a fast one with your estate. He told me that Peter was next in line to claim the estate and as he is missing it is currently frozen. But, I know from discussions I had with Talia that Peter received his own inheritance from their parents and that her will was clear that Peter only inherited if all her children were dead.”

Derek nodded, “I think it might be worth talking to Peter’s lawyer, although he may eat Hank for lunch. He’s from a neighboring pack and he has a ruthless streak as vicious as Uncle Peters was.”

David’s eyes narrowed, “Ralph Vilkas?” He smirked when he saw Derek nod, “You should definitely do that. Hank is scared shitless of him and has never won against him in court.”

Derek asked, “So Noah, are you all good to be invaded by teenagers for the full moon in two weeks? I have enough restraints for everyone and Scott will be able to help me with the newbies since he’s got his shift under control.”

Noah asked, “Sure thing, the basement should be big enough. Do we want to bring any of the other parents in on this?”

Stiles shook his head rapidly. He snorted, “Hell no. Erica’s parents have all but checked out, they didn’t even visit her when she was in hospital before she was bitten. Boyd’s grandmother wouldn’t take it well, she still blames Boyd for his baby sister going missing when he was 10.”

Noah rolled his eyes, “Boyd was the only reason she wasn’t facing charges for leaving them alone at the ice rink. What do we do about the Argents?”

Derek suggested, “You could try talking to Chris and Victoria. Rumour had it they moved back here to get away from Gerard. They are both very strict on following the code and they were pissed that Kate brought Allison in on the secret before she was of age. It might also be worth asking them about Lydia, I know they have been monitoring them since Peter bit her.”

Noah frowned and he asked, “She didn’t turn?”

Derek shook his head, he explained, “Which points to her being not entirely human. Humans either turn or die. There is no other option.”

Jackson sighed, “She has been withdrawn, picking fights with me, she even forgot to hand in her math homework the other day.”

Stiles facepalmed, he asked, “Can you talk to her? Maybe explain whats going on with you? She’s already involved. With her smarts, she would be good on our research team.”

Jackson nodded, he stated, “I want to tell Danny too. He knows something is going on he has ever since he met Miguel,” He gave Stiles a pointed look, “I can’t keep him out of it, it's not fair to him or me and his tech skills will help the pack.”

Derek nodded, he asked, “Will you need help telling them?”

Jackson looked at David before he asked, “Stiles? Can you help me?”

Stiles nodded, he asked, “I was on the forbidden list?”

Jackson smiled sadly as he quoted, “No hyperactive spaz is good enough for a son of mine.”

Stiles burst into loud laughter. He commented, “Wow, she really is a piece of work.” He turned to David, sounds like Peter’s lawyer might be a good idea for you too.”

Noah barked out, “Stiles!”

Stiles ignored him and he asked, “Jacks? Do you want to stay and puppy pile tonight? It feels good to your wolf.”

Jackson glanced at David before he nodded. David commented, “Maybe that would be a good idea until we can get the scheming wench out of the house?”

Jackson just nodded tiredly and he followed Stiles up to his bedroom. 

-x-

Danny took to the pack like he was born into it. He started quietly hacking into records trying to find evidence that the Argents were involved in the Hale fire.

Noah and David met with Chris while Victoria and Gerard were at the school. They confirmed that they were part of the Hale pack. Chris agreed to talk to Victoria about negotiating a new treaty. Chris also confirmed that they all thought Lydia was vanilla human and that Peter didn’t bite her deep enough to force the change.

Chris stopped them as they were leaving, he explained, “Look, I don’t know why my father is here, I know he’s already killed one omega with no proof they had done anything wrong. I know whatever it is it won’t be good. He knows about McCall which is why Allison is staying away from him. You need to make sure any new wolves stay under the radar. He is a speciesist zealot who wants to eliminate all creatures.”

Noah and David just nodded to show that they had heard as they left. They both cornered Melissa and Scott back at the Stilinski house which had become pack HQ while Derek searched for other options. They explained why Allison was staying away and Scott agreed that it wasn’t a good idea while Gerard was in town. That maybe they could talk once he was gone.

Once Derek had access to the Hale bank accounts again he talked to Noah about staying in the Stilinski’s guest room while he had the house in the preserve rebuilt. Noah suggested he turn the basement into somewhere the pack could hang out and puppy pile. With help from all the betas, he ordered in sofas, beanbags and several large mattresses to cover the floor. He and Stiles went through his property portfolio and he converted one of the larger warehouses into a training space for his pack. He stocked it with various workout machines designed to cope with wolf strength and large training mats and padding for hand to hand workouts. He worked with Ralph to call in a magic-user to ward the warehouse and the various pack member's houses with intent and protection wards.

Stiles refused point-blank to have anything to do with Erica, he was refusing to plan her punishment until after she apologized. Erica kept trying to elicit a response by needling and pushing at both Stiles and Derek but she underestimated just how stubborn Stiles could be.

During a hand to hand training session, Derek asked the betas to try and take him down and Erica smirked and while staring right at Stiles she jumped at Derek and wrapped her legs around his waist before moving in with a hot and filthy kiss. She snarled when he threw her across the room.

Derek yelled, “That's the last time you do that.”

Erica demanded, “Why? Because I’m a beta?”

Derek glanced briefly at Stiles before he stood tall and he said, “No, because I am already taken.”

She glared at Stiles and stormed out of the training space.

No matter how hard they tried Lydia refused to confide in either Jackson or Danny. She was becoming more disconnected and withdrawn. What had them all worried was that it was starting to affect her grades. The boys started planning to pull an intervention after the full moon. She was still putting on a public face of everything being fine and still planned her usual birthday party which included her friends from both Beacon Hills High and Devonford Prep. Danny was attending so he could keep an eye on her since the pack betas would be locked up in the Stilinski basement with Derek, David, and Noah.

Danny was at the party chatting with the lacrosse team when he realized he had lost sight of Lydia. He searched the house but no one had seen Lydia in over an hour so he called Derek to let him know.

Jackson overheard the call and he practically begged for Derek to go and find her to keep her safe.

Noah remotely logged into the traffic cams and he saw her car headed to the preserve so Derek figured she was headed to the Hale house ruins in the preserve. He texted Danny to meet him there and he turned to leave, Stiles called out, “This is looking super dodgy, take me with you for backup, I will stay in the car unless you need me.”

Derek looked at Noah who nodded, “His control has been fine, he’s had an anchor since he turned, a solid one. I agree. We will take care of the betas.”

Noah let Stiles out of the restraints and he followed Derek out to the Camaro. Stiles promised, “I will stay in the Camaro unless you need me. Trust me.”

Derek leaned over and gave him a quick kiss, he assured, “I do, I really really do.”

As they approached the ruins Derek spotted Danny following them, he parked beside Lydia’s car and he said, “Stay with Danny while I check out the house.”

Danny and Stiles waited outside but whatever was happening inside was out of even Stiles' enhanced hearing range. Stiles suspected some of the wards on the house may still be active, blocking the sound.

Derek walked through the house and he could hear noise toward the library where he had buried his Uncle Peter. He crept through the house and he started when he saw the elaborate setup of mirrors in the library. He muttered almost to himself, “What have you done Uncle Peter?”

He heard an intake of breath and he turned to check it out only for Lydia to blow a small amount of powdered wolfsbane right into his face dropping him like a log.

She seemed to be almost in a fugue state as she dragged him over to the newly opened grave where Peter’s burnt and decomposing body was resting. She placed Derek’s arm in Peter’s hand which closed around it in a firm grip. She then moved around the room adjusting the mirrors so the moonlight from the Worm Moon shone directly onto Peter’s face.

She watched as Peter’s claws dug into Derek’s arm and the blood flowing down onto Peter’s chest. She started to come back to herself as she watched Peter’s body start to breathe healing rapidly. She screamed as he burst out of the grave waking Derek in the process.

Derek rolled onto all fours ready to attack and he growled, “What did you do Peter?”

Danny and Stiles ran through the house but froze at the door at the sight of a very dirty and naked Peter, a very confused Lydia and a wolfed out Derek. With his eyes flashing a bright beta gold Stiles demanded, “Does someone want to tell me what the hell is going on? Creeperwolf is now Zombiewolf? Lydia?”

Peter smiled, he said, “Stiles, I always did think you would be the most magnificent wolf.” He turned to Lydia and he bowed a half bow, “I am sorry for what you have been through, I was not in my right mind when I bit you and I certainly wouldn’t have if I had known you are a banshee. Your banshee stopped me from moving on and my resurrection was the only thing I could think of that would break the bond.”

Stiles jaw dropped, he muttered to Derek who had moved to protect his betas, “Is this the Peter you remember, from before the fire.”

Derek nodded absently, he watched Peter carefully looking for any sign of deception.

Lydia narrowed her eyes shrewdly at Peter, she asked, “You know more about banshees?” When she saw Peter nod in the affirmative she demanded, “You will help me learn then, to make up for the last few months of thinking I was crazy.”

Peter smiled and nodded, “Of course. Maybe some shopping in San Fransisco, I know the best boutiques. I do owe you a birthday present after all.”

Lydia nodded and as she left the room she glared at Danny and called out, “Get the number from Danny. I have a party to attend.”

Once she was gone Peter turned to Derek he bared his throat and he just said, “Alpha.”

Derek asked, “Are you sure? Can you be trusted?”

Peter smirked, and he said, “Trust me to do my best for the Hale pack. You know I am loyal when my brains are all in the right place.”

Derek leaned forward and he bit down on his uncle's neck reforging the pack bond he had been missing for over six years. 

Stiles breathed a sigh of relief, “Great, now maybe Zombiewolf can help us deal with Gerard.”

Peter stumbled a bit as his eyes glowed a brilliant electric blue, he demanded, “He’s here? In Beacon Hills.”

Derek threw Danny his keys and he asked, “Can you run ahead and open up the Camaro?” He watched Danny run off and he turned to Stiles, “Let’s get him to the house, he can puppy pile with the betas. If he used the spell I think he did it's going to take a while for him to be fighting fit. Cuddle puddles with the pack will speed up the process.”

Peter accepted the help as he mouthed ‘cuddle puddles’ to himself incredulously.

Out at the cars, Derek helped get Peter settled in the passenger seat, once he was done he turned to Danny and he asked, “Can you go help Lydia, and once the party is over try and convince her to come to the Stilinski’s house. If you have to bribe her with access to some rare books about banshees.”

Danny nodded and he headed to the party. He hoped she had headed back to kick everyone out. He was anticipating a late night with many arguments.

Stiles and Derek carried Peter down to the basement, they went to put him down on the mattresses with the rest of the pack but he instead staggered over to the sofa and cuddled up to Noah. David laughed and he rolled his eyes. Stiles looked at the pair of them with wide eyes.

David snarked, “I thought I was done watching you two make cow eyes at each other.”

Noah raised an eyebrow and he snarked back, “Excuse you, I don’t make cow eyes and he has a lot of groveling before we are back at the awkward flirting stage thank you very much.”

Stiles and Derek just shrugged before they moved into the middle of the pack pile on the floor, they were determined to enjoy the rest of the full moon cuddling.

-x-

A few days later Scott was cornered outside the hospital by Gerard Argent while he is waiting for Melissa to finish work.

Gerard leaned in and stabbed him swiftly in the gut while leaning in with his other hand on his shoulder holding him firmly in place. He said quietly, “Don't move. Even though I can practically feel the tissue around the blade already trying to heal, you never know with a beta. Besides, we'd lose this perfect picture. The kind old grandfather embracing his favorite grandson after hearing good news from the doctor. That's right. I can play the nice doddering grandpa who likes to cook and tell stories and be sweet and charming, and trust me, I can do it far better than you playing ‘average broken-hearted teenage boy’.” 

He twisted the blade before he demanded, “Are you listening?”

Scott grimaced and through a clenched jaw he snapped, “Yes.”

Gerard smiled, Scott thought it was creepy and he shuddered, “Perfect. Now, you're gonna do me a favor one of these days and you're gonna do it, and you’re not going to tell anyone because if you don't follow my instructions, this knife goes in her. Scott? I truly believe that it's so much easier when bad things don't have to happen to good people. Don't you agree?”

Scott internally rolled his eyes as he snapped out, “Yes.”

Gerard withdrew the knife then he squeezed Scott's shoulder as if in comfort before he moved to his car in the parking lot.

Melissa walked out of the hospital but she noticed Scott was holding his stomach, she asked, “Hey there. You ok?”

Scott could see Gerard watching out the corner of his eye so he just nodded and said, “Yeah fine. Everything’s fine.”

They moved to the car, and as soon as they were away from the hospital he said, “We need to go to the Sheriffs, now. Gerard just threatened me. Pretty sure he's got people watching us so you need to drive like it’s something we normally do.”

Melissa gulped nervously and she told Scott to text Derek and Stiles to let them know what was going on.

They discussed it and they decided that Scott was approached because Gerard was likely to use Allison for leverage. 

Peter suggested, “Why don’t you talk to Christopher, if there is one thing he loves and protects more than anything on this planet its Allison. You said he already suspects his father is up to something.”

Derek agreed and he suggested he and Noah have a talk to Chris during the next school day. It was likely that Gerard was about to make a move.

The boys were all practicing hard for the state championship lacrosse game and Erica was getting extra hand to hand instruction from Derek and Peter. Peter was still regaining his strength so he mostly watched and gave advice from the sidelines. He was angry at Erica for nearly killing Stiles and he had openly offered his help to Stiles in organizing her punishment.

She turned up a few days before the game during practice, late, with a bag slung over her shoulder. She said, “I’m leaving. There is another pack out there. There’s got to be. I’ve made up my mind. Stiles is never going to get over his grudge.”

Peter smirked, “Oh you poor naive little girl. Did you ever think to apologize to him for nearly killing him?”

Erica snorted, “Like that would make a difference, you don’t know Stiles, he can really hold a grudge.”

Derek nodded, “He can. But what was determining the level of your punishment was how long it took you to accept that you fucked up and gave him a genuine apology.” He shrugged, “Feel free to leave, this pack isn’t a prison, I wish you all the luck.” He turned to Peter and he asked, “Do you want to go check out the lacrosse practice?”

Peter stood and he laughed as he said, “Only if we sit in the bleachers. You need to stop being a creeper.”

They waited for Erica to leave and Derek held his hand out to her, “Your keys?”

She handed over her keys and she flounced out of the warehouse before she took off running into the preserve.

Derek just shook his head before heading off to watch the lacrosse practice.

-x-

Just before the big championship game, Scott got a text on his phone.

From Unknown: Time for that favor Scott. You need to bring your alpha to your training warehouse tonight or she dies.

Scott looked around and he couldn’t see Allison in the stands, he could see his mom sitting with Noah, Peter, and Lydia in the stands. He moved to where the pack was all sitting and he showed the text to Derek who sent a text off to Chris.

To Chris: Where is Allison?

He saw Chris frown and talk to Victoria before his phone vibrated.

From Chris: Vic said she was catching a ride with Gerard.

To Chris: Gerard is on the move and he has threatened Allison. Be on alert.

Derek turned to the pack and he could see the betas on the bench paying attention. He said, “Gerard is enacting whatever plan he has, stay together in pairs, and stay alert. They all nodded with Jackson whispering the orders to Danny.”

The boys played hard and won the game 10 - 8 over Devonford Prep winning the state championship. The spectators all roared in approval as they stormed the field. 

Suddenly all the lights went out and gunshots rang out from various points around the field and the spectators all started to run in panic. In the darkness, Stiles felt arms grab him and he was belted across the back of his head with the butt of a rifle and he was thrown into a van.

He came too just as he was thrown down a flight of stairs into a basement. He stood and shook his head to try and get rid of the residual fuzziness. He looked up and saw a disheveled Erica strung from the ceiling and gagged. He reached up to remove her bindings but he stood back when he recognized it as electrical cable. He followed it to a generator across the room. He moved across to it but he stopped when he saw Gerard coming down the stairs. He demanded, “What are you doing with her?”

Gerard sneered at him and said, “At the moment, just keeping her comfortable. There's no point in torturing her, she won't give Derek up. The instinct to protect her Alpha's too strong.”

Stiles smirked, “Okay. So what are you doing with me? Because Derek will already know I am missing and he can find me, all right? He knows my scent. It's pungent, you know? It's more like a stench. He could find me even if I was buried at the bottom of a sewer covered in fecal matter and urine.”

Gerard smiled meanly, “You have a knack for creating a vivid picture, Mr. Stilinski. Let me paint one of my own. Scott McCall finds his best friend bloodied and beaten to a pulp. How does that sound?”

Stiles moved to a faux boxing position and he snarked, “I think I might prefer more of a still life or landscape, you know? What - what are you, 90? Look, I can probably kick your ass up and down this room.”

Gerard moved to punch him across the jaw but Stiles grabbed him and he secured his wrists in one hand while with the other he held claws to Gerard's throat, he whispered menacingly. “I know what you have been doing. My pack has been busy collecting evidence, all those innocent packs you wiped out in your zealotry.”

Gerard sneered, “You’re supposed to be human.”

Stiles grinned and he snarled in his ear, “Newsflash asshole. Even though I’m a werewolf, you are more of a monster.”

Stiles tensed as he heard footsteps across the floor upstairs, he felt Gerard inhale as if to shout out for help but he dug his claws in harder and Gerard snarled in pain. Stiles relaxed when he recognized two of the three heartbeats up the stairs and he called out, “Down here Derek, Dad!”

Chris led Derek and Noah down to the basement and they froze at what they saw. Noah moved to the generator while Chris held his gun up.

Stiles looked angrily at Chris, “You would defend him even now. He took me as a message, he assumed I was human and he took me with the intention of beating me bloody and leaving me outside Scott's house as a message.”

Chris shook his head, he explained, “The gun is for him. He has taken Allison, we can’t find her.”

Derek reached out and gripped Chris’ shoulder, “She’s upstairs, asleep. Noah, can you and Erica check on her please.”

Noah nodded and he followed Erica up the stairs with his gun out, just in case there were backup hunters around.

Chris snarled at Gerard, “Is it true? Did you and Kate slaughter peaceful packs?”

Gerard screamed, “They are mongrels, and all mongrels go feral eventually.”

Chris just sighed and took the shot nailing Gerard right through the forehead. Stiles dug in with his claws and he took his head off before dropping the body on the ground. 

He ran to Derek who pulled him into his arms.

“Jesus Der,” Stiles mumbled into Derek's neck, “He was bloody batshit crazy.”

Chris pulled a pill bottle out of Gerard's pocket and he read the label. He handed the bottle to Derek, “He has cancer, these are cancer drugs given to end-stage terminal patients.”

Derek frowned, “He wanted the bite? Wow, he really had lost it.” He looked down at the body and he asked, “Do you need help with that?”

Chris shook his head, “No, I will call the council if you could send through your evidence on his and Kates activities to prove the case for retribution that would be awesome.”

Stiles nodded and he interlaced his fingers with Derek as they walked out of the basement he gave him a quick kiss and he glanced around the basement and he muttered sardonically, “Happy Birthday to me.” He looked up at Derek with a smile and he demanded, “I need cuddles and yours are the best.”

Derek kissed his temple and he whispered, "Happy Birthday Stiles. Let's go celebrate and make it something to remember."

They were both thankful the pack had survived all in one piece.


End file.
